Make positive lifestyle changes this holiday season December 7th, 2017

Make positive lifestyle changes this holiday season

With the holiday season fast approaching, many people are looking back at the year behind them in quiet reflection. Aside from making healthy decisions regarding weight and food, some people choose to enrich their lives in other ways, such as donating to charity or volunteering their time for a cause.

If you want to start making positive lifestyle changes during the holiday season, but are worried it may be a little difficult, there are some simple ways to do so. Below are some easy ideas that give big rewards.

Donate to a worthy cause

Donating money or your time to a worthy cause, such as the SPCA or Doctors Without Borders is a positive and simple action to take. If you choose to donate time, look for a charity that is close to you in order to volunteer on a regular basis.

However, if you feel that a regular monetary donation is more suited to your situation, Doctors Without Borders accepts both single and monthly donations. Making a donation to a worthy cause is an uplifting experience, and not only will it make you feel like you have made a difference, you will have contributed to something bigger than your own needs.

Learn a new language or skill

This may sound like extra work, but learning a new skill or a new language can add hours of fun to your life. If you join a club or a class, you will meet new people while you are learning, enriching your social circle and teaching you about other cultures.

Education is something that nobody can ever take away from you, so add to your skill set and knowledge by picking up a language or skill you have always wanted to learn. Other than introducing an element of interest to your life, taking part in classes and furthering your own education is a part of self-care, and is a positive step toward a more nurturing new year.

Introduce positive thinking

Nearing the end of the year, many people tend to look back with negative thoughts or think of ways they could have changed or improved certain situations. If you are someone who does this, then you should try to flip your thoughts around and focus on the positive aspects of life.

For example, if you are cringing over the memory of how you acted at the office party, rather think of how many people bonded and had fun during the party. By changing the way you think from negative to positive, you can end the year on a good note, and will not feel pressured at the start of a new year to make as many changes to yourself.

Try single-tasking

In today’s modern world, multitasking is often required at work and at home. While this does get many things done, it can leave you feeling exhausted and overworked. Single-tasking is the opposite of this, but is still as effective in reaching deadlines and achieving goals.

Single-tasking will also make you more effective at your job and you will be able to get more done than you would with multitasking. It allows you to focus on finishing one task without having to switch between multiple others. Your stress levels will also decrease significantly.

Exercise… the way you want to

This is most likely something you have heard time and again, and are tired of hearing. However, exercising is a highly positive change to make to your lifestyle. Instead of joining the nearest gym, you should look into joining classes or a group that exercises in the way you enjoy, such as dancing, running or yoga.

Taking part in exercise that speaks to you and is an activity that you enjoy makes it easier for you to continue going. Other than aiding in weight-loss, exercise helps to reduce stress and releases endorphins that make you feel happy and energised.

Eliminate non-essentials

To do this, you will need to identify what the essential aspects of your life are, such as family time or relaxation time after a hard day at work, or even the happiness and welfare of your pets. This process can also include looking at work tasks and deciding which ones are the most important or meaningful to you.

Once you have done the above, you can eliminate the non-essential aspects or tasks. Eliminating these non-essentials will mean that you have more time for what is important to you and what enriches your life. It will help you simplify and streamline your goals.

Final words

Making changes to your lifestyle this holiday season will ensure that the upcoming year is filled with positivity. Aside from making all the changes mentioned above, one of the biggest ones you can make is to practice kindness every day – to yourself and to others. Small but meaningful changes will help you move towards a happier and more fulfilling future.